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Should public health bodies use firms that support the tobacco industry?

2 September 2013

In the wake of the UK government’s decision to
scrap plans for plain packaging of cigarettes, and the ensuing furore following
allegations about the possible influence on that decision of political
strategist Lynton
Crosby, who has links with the tobacco industry, four
prominent addiction researchers from UCL have issued a call for health care
organisations and governments around the globe to avoid using market research
firms that also work for tobacco companies.

In
mid-July, the UK Department of Health revealed in a public statement that it
would shelve plans to introduce plain packaging of cigarettes, widely reported
as a policy u-turn.

There was concern
about the possible influence of Conservative campaign strategist Lynton Crosby,
whose PR and lobbying firm has links with the tobacco industry. Crosby has
since denied that he had had "any conversation or discussion with, or
lobbied, the prime minister, or indeed the health secretary or the health
minister, on plain packaging or tobacco issues."

However, the
allegations have led to worldwide debates over the wisdom of government leaders
using public relations firms that also represent the tobacco industry, thereby giving
the industry another opportunity to influence health policy.

We could begin by asking individual market research companies who specialise in healthcare and governmental work if they would be willing to avoid working with tobacco clients. If enough companies respond positively, we can establish rules to favour those companies in any contracting process.

Dr Jamie Brown, UCL Epidemiology and Public Health

In an editorial published online today in the
scientific journal Addiction,
researchers from the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre at UCL have asked public health organisations and governments
to go one step further and avoid using market research firms with tobacco
industry links.

They argue that market
research firms that serve both the healthcare industry and the tobacco industry
face a potentially unresolvable conflict of interest: the information they gather for their public
health clients would be of great use to their tobacco clients, whose goals are
not in the interests of public health. Although market research companies say they have internal safeguards
against such information-sharing, it would be far better to avoid the potential
conflict in the first place.

Lead author Dr Jamie Brown (UCL Epidemiology & Public Health) says: “We could begin by
asking individual market research companies who specialise in healthcare and
governmental work if they would be willing to avoid working with tobacco
clients. If enough companies respond
positively, we can establish rules to favour those companies in any contracting
process. If not, we can open negotiations with the major research companies to
broker a strict policy on client engagement.”